By Dr. Robert C. Chandler:

During disasters and emergencies people are affected by the stresses and challenges of these events. These stresses can sometimes be quite traumatic. We should be attentive to the ways in which such events affect and change those who are working, living, enduring, and surviving during a high-stress crisis. In addition to recognizing and adapting to the dynamics of those with whom we work or manage who are under tremendous pressures during crises, we ourselves as crisis managers are likewise affected by the stresses of these events.

Even emergency responders and crisis managers who (usually) are well-trained professionals (with specialized technical and professional knowledge appropriate to deal with a wide range of emergencies, dangers and disasters) can be significantly impacted by crisis events and high-pressure situations. Research and after-action reviews show that crisis mangers are, in general, a physically and psychologically resilient group of professionals, especially when compared with the general population. These professionals typically understand the challenges of their work and effectively manage the demands and stresses they face. However, even among such generally resilient individuals the demands of crises do affect managers in several significant ways.

This excerpt from “How and Why a Crisis Affects People – Part I:” is published with permission from Firestorm. Read the full post via Firestorm here.